Filing-case.



R. N. HAWKINS.

HUNG CASE.

APPLICATIGN FiLED FEB. 26, 1914.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

wmmlloz ROBERT N. HAWKINS, 01 HELENA, MONTANA.

FILING-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed February 26, 1914-. Serial N 0. 821,247.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT N. HAWKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing-Cases, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in filing devices, and has partioular reference to means for supporting the same at various elevations.

The object of the present invention resides in the provision of a filing case which may be so positioned on a horizontal support that its bottom is inclined downwardly and rearwardly so that papers will be securely held in the case, which is preferably open at its front and top, or so that the case if desired may be provided with a slanting disk and thus have its bottom disposed in a horizontal plane when disposed on said disk, means being also provided for holding the bottom in horizontal plane when the device is resting on a horizontal surface.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for holding papers positioned in the file cabinet against accidental displacement, said means being readily movable to a position in which they offer no obstruction to a personusing the .file case.

. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a structure of the class described which is of such simple design that it is durable in use and may be manufactured at a comparatively small cost.

\Vith these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the formation and arrangement of parts more fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings. wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved filing device, partly in section. Fig.

' verging rods,

novel combination,

2 is a top plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view of the device.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the file case is shown as comprising a bottom 5, vertical side walls 6 and a rear wall 7 having extending upwardly from its central portion, a suitable plate member 8 for carrying an index card or the like.

The structure described is illustrated as being formed of wood, but it will be readily understood that the walls may'be formed of wire sections or of any other material as desired. To normally hold the device in a position with its bottom inclined downwardly toward its rear end, depending flanges 9 are secured to the side edges of the bottom and are tapered rearwardly so that they terminate at substantially the rear end of said bottom. The forward portion of these flanges are cut away to provide rounded knob members 10 which are adapted to rest upon the surface of the table without marring it in any degree.

To provide a compartment in connection with the filing case wherein may be positioncd small articles of office paraphernalia, the inner face of the depending flanges 9 being provided with longitudinal guide strips 11 and a small drawer 12 is slidable on these guide strips, it being of such proportion that it cannot engage the surface of the table under any normal conditions.

To weigh down and compress the papers disposed within the filing case, I have provided a ball weight 13 which is secured on the inner ends of a pair of forwardly conthe rear ends of the rods being provided with eyes or openings for engagement with the outwardly extending pins 14, on the opposite sides The ball is adapted to rest upon the papers at any height to which they may extend in the case, and it may be readily swung upwardly when it is desired to place other papers within the case.

To provide means for holding papers in the file case when they are of such bulk that they practically fill the case, a pair of base plates 15 are mounted in recesses 16 in the of the plate 8.

intermediate portions of the upper edges of the side walls, the plates being secured in position by screws or the like, with their upper faces flush with the upper edges of the sidewalls. Pivoted at one end on one of the screws which hold each of theplates on the side walls, is a spring arm 17, the

' arms 17 being normally adapted to extend invthe same longitudinal plane as the side Walls 6. This is the means for holding said arm in cooperative position. The free ends of'the arms may be swung inwardly to lie on arms is increased as the documents will have a resiliency of their own bearing against said arms to preventpossible dis.-

1 placement thereof or to prevent the documents from moving longitudinally of the casing. I v

Means are provided, as stated heretofore, whereby the case maybe held with its hottom inclined downwardly toward its rear end, when the device is resting on a horizontal surface or whereby the bottom may be held parallel to said horizontal surface. To accomplish this a legmember is provided at the rear end of the casing which comprises a pair, of wire-arms 18 having their adjacent endsconnected to a transversely extending.

foot 19 which is adapted to engage the supporting surface and which is formed of such'material that it will not mar'the same. The rear wall 7 of the casing is provided witha pair of spaced eye members 20 adjacent its lower end and the other ends of the wire 18 are laterally directed at 20 and secured in said eyes whereby the leg portion is pivotally mounted and may swing to substantially half a circle to position it either upwardly against the rear wall 7 or downwardly, with its foot portion 19 extending below. the wall and supporting the rear end of the file case whereby the bottom thereof will be held in a horizontal position; To detachably hold the leg member in either limit of its movement upper and lower grip members 21 and 22 respectively are provided and these comprise each a single length of spring metal secured transversely to the rear wall and having their ends directed rearwardly so that the wire sections 18 in engaging thereagainst will force said arms apart and seat adjacent, the junctures of said arms with their body portion being thus resiliently and detachably held against movement. It will be noted that the lower spring holding member 22 is formed of relatively stiff and strong material as comparatively great strain comes thereupon in the use of the device. Thus it is seen that a very simple device has been provided which will efiiciently perform all of the functions normally required thereof, which is easily operated wlthout any danger of marring'the surface on which it rests, and which presents a neat and ornamental appearance.

pended claims may be resorted to withoutdeparting in any manner from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A filing cabinet comprising a bottom member normally disposed with its bottom inclining downwardly toward its rear ends when supported on a horizontal surface,

and means attached to the casing whereby the bottom may be supported in a horizontal position and clip members adapted to engage said means for holding it to support the bottom members in such position.

2. A file cabinet including a bottom normally inclined downwardly toward its rear end when the device is supported on a horizontal surface, a. supporting leg pivoted at one end to the rear of the'casing, said leg being adapted to swing to dispose-its free end below thecasing to support the casing with its bottom horizontal, and means for holdlng the leg member at its limits of movement.

3. filecabinet comprising a body port1on Including a bottom, sides, and a rear end wall, depending flanges at the sides of the bottom tapering rearwardly and terminating adjacent the rear wall of the body, a leg member pivotally connected to the rear wall and adapted to swing to extend below the bottom of the casing, and means for holding the leg member in position to hold the bottom horizontally.

4. A file cabinet including side walls and a back wall, a plate mounted upon the upper edge of the back wall, rods pivotally connected at one end to the plate, a weight carried by the free ends of the rods, said rods being adapted to swing to dispose the weight either forwardly or rearwardly of the back wall.

5. The combination with a file cabinet having its bottom normally inclined downwardly toward its rear end, of a supporting member for the back of the casing comprising a pair of rods pivotally connected to the back of the casing, and a transverse foot secured to the free ends of the rods, said rods being adapted to lie upwardly against the face of the casing or to lie downwardly my signature in the presence of two witagainst1 the face of the 1easing and extend nesses. therebe ow, to support t e casin with its bottom horizontal, and spring clig members ROBERT HAWKINS 5 for holding the leg at its limits of move- Witnesses:

ment. WILL AIKEN,

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix J. A. LIVINGSTON, Jr., 

